Fire Emblem: A Journey Through the Dark
by shadowknightwriter
Summary: Kamui has sided with Nohr, and her journey has begun. She faces heartbreak as she betrays her family of Hoshido and pushes forth as she risks everything to rebuild her home kingdom of darkness for the better future she desires for everyone. For the most part, this story will follow the sequence of events of the game,but with more insight to the emotions of the heroine.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own the characters of Fire Emblem Fates!**

Chapter 1: The Heartbreak of a Heroine

I hesitated as I faced the stoney face of Ryoma. Gentle creases of worry swept his young face.

"I'm sorry Ryoma," I said struggling to hold back my tears. I knew it wasn't going to be easy. But I had no idea- couldn't even begin to fathom- how hard saying those words would be. "I don't want to leave you, or Hoshido… I don't want to betray my birth kingdom. "Please… Please forgive me…Please… Understand Nohr is all I've ever known, the only family I've ever had until now… I could never cross swords with Xander, Camilla, and Leon… Could never hurt Elise…"

Silence enveloped the plains, as my shuttering voice echoed throughout the battlefield.

A loud and forceful voice crackled with the electricity of his anger,"You traitor! How could you!? Your 'father'- that wretched beast killed our mother- _your_ mother. No, he sent you with that sword to execute her. And you carried out his plans like the obedient soulless fabricant you are! You betrayed us! You've caused so much pain- so much hurt- you have no idea!" Takumi snarled.

 _Someone, please wake me up from this nightmare. It's all a dream- Wake up, wake up!_ I squeeze my eyes shut. _It'll be okay. Morning will come and it'll all fade away. Nothing more than a figment of my imagination._

"Is that your final decision Kamui?" Ryoma asked an ember of hope still glowing faintly in his eyes.

 _This isn't a dream. His hope is real. My betrayal is real._ I opened my eyes, but I couldn't face him, surely I'd cry, so I instead tilted my face away to avoid the sorrow in his eyes.

"It'll be my pleasure to strike you where you stand as the traitor you are!" Takumi viciously snapped, drawing his Fujin Yumi in one fluid motion. He knew just as well as I did- what my silence meant- and was not afraid to draw out this encounter longer than it needed to be.

"So be it," Ryoma said in a voice that hid any sign of emotion. I still couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye, but I could sense the movement of his shoulders as they slumped, signalling the release of whatever hope he had retained. "Steal yourself sister, and be ready to fight for your life."

I didn't want to believe he meant that.

"I've waited for your return for countless long years-" Hinoka managed to say in a frustrated tone, "I waited-" she held back a sob, "for you to come back…" she took a moment to gather herself. "Do you really have nothing to say for yourself?! No remorse for the pain you've put all of us through?"

 _Could I really go forth with this decision?... This is not the time for second guessing myself._ I thought, trying to rid myself of emotion; trying to use logic to win my mind over.

"Sister… Please, don't leave us." Sakura said gently through watery eyes, reaching out a small hand.

My grip tightened around Yato, as I begged it to give me strength. Tears welled up in my eyes, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry Ryoma… Hinoka… Takumi… Sakura…" I said softly. _I'm bound to Nohr, body, mind, and soul, and one day I hope you'll understand. There's only one way I can bring this destruction to an end…_

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

 **Thanks for reading, and please comment and suggest stuff! I'm always looking to improve my writing! (^-^) I'm only planning on writing a Nohr route story as of now, but if you want a Hoshido route or Revelations route in the future, lemme know and I'll do my best to accommodate. And if you like the Nohr route, then even better- cause I do plan on finishing this out! (I'll be aiming to post new chapters once-twice a week)**


	2. Chapter 2

**You know the drill- I don't own the characters of Fire Emblem Fates (although I wish I do!)**

Chapter 2: Into the Woods

" _Do it!" Father commanded. "Kill her now!_

 _Xander looked as shocked as I did. "Father, you cannot truly mean that-she's my sister, a princess of our glorious kingdom," he said casting a skeptical yet cautious look in Father's direction. "Kamui has proven her loyalty lies with Nohr, surely her choice to side with us over Hoshido suffices as proof-"_

" _Silence!" King Garon commanded, his aged face wrinkling in anger, " Do you take me as a fool?! If she can't suppress the Ice Tribe's rebellion by herself as Anankos decrees, then she is not a worthy princess of Nohr!"_

That series of events replayed in my mind yet another time as I strayed further and further into the Woods of the Forlorn. The air was thick with the smell of mildew and the squish of the moss beneath each footstep was the only sound to be heard. _So this is what I gave up Hoshido for,_ I thought letting a scoff escape my mouth. _Ryoma, Hinoka, Takumi, Sakura... I'm sure Takumi would love to rub it in my face if he knew what Father was making me do._ Lilith, although just a shadow glanced at me- "Kamui, the only way is forward now." she said. I instantly felt guilty for thinking about my family in Hoshido. It would pain Xander, Camilla, Leon, and Elise if they knew I held any indecision over choosing to side with Nohr. "It was a tragic fate that you had to choose between your two families. But you mustn't waiver in your resolve-" Lilith continued...

I stopped listening although the wise dragon maiden continued speaking. My ears piqued a the rustle of leaves across the muddy clearing. My hand clamped around the helm of Yato turning my knuckles white. _Please be a squirrel… Please be something small and easy to defeat… Please let it be small…_ I kept my hopes up, although I could feel my stomach sinking as I could sense a battle drawing near.

"Gwarrrrrrhhhhhh!" An enormous figure appeared, and Lilith quickly faded out. She was only a figment and distortion of the air and would be no help to me in a battle, as her physical body remained in the Astral Plane recovering. I was on my own.

Green and dirty, the massive Faceless emerged from the brush swinging a wild arm sending branches scattering through the air. _So Anankos has smiled upon me?_ I thought recalling the words of Father. _If this is Anankos smiling, then I can't even imagine what frowning would look like._

My sarcastic mood was cut short as the beast swung a shackled fist at my face. I felt the shift of air against my cheek as I narrowly dodged it, crouching closely to the ground as I bounded backwards.

Accompanied by the sound of daggers slicing the air, the Faceless suddenly lurched forward with an Earth rattling groan. A poised and elegant white haired man in his usual butler attire appeared above the fallen Faceless. I can't remember the last time I had been that happy to see Jakob.

"Ah, just in the nick of time, Milady," he said extending a gloved hand to help me up from my crouched position. While Jakob remained calm as he retrieved his daggers from the back of the Faceless, I panicked as a half dozen faceless emerged from the surrounding shrubbery.

A realization sunk in. "Jakob you have to get out of here!"

"I am not leaving. I spent half the day tracking you down Milady, and you cannot simply command me to leave." He said, yanking his final dagger out of the Faceless, still oblivious to the incoming of more.

"No, there's no time to explain but, I have to do this alone, otherwise I won't be accepted as a Nohrian Princess! It's Father's orders-Anankos' decree!" I said, wishing my butler would just listen for once.

"Oh, what hogwash! You are a Nohrian princess, you chose Nohr. I know your loyalty to our kingdom better than anyone. Either way, His Majesty's orders or not, my responsibility is to care for, and protect you, and no one can say otherwise…" He turned his solemn face to me, at last noticing all of the Faceless.

"Come on Jakob, you ought to leave!" I shouted.

"Well that is most certainly not an option now." He said, in a neutral voice of calm- a voice that could only possibly come from seeing a fair share of battles. "If we are both to leave alive, you'll be needing my assistance, don't you agree Milady?" He added in his usual snarky tone. "Now, best we not waste time, Milady. We must make haste with our enemy." He unhooked the latch on the leather satchel of daggers he carried on his belt, the moonlight revealing their gleaming blades. My hand tightened around the green opaque surface of my dragonstone.

"Hold onto this for me," I said, transferring Yato into the hands of Jakob. He caught it and swiftly and shifted my sheathed sword onto his back beside his healing staff.

Holding the dragonstone in both of my hands I closed my eyes and waited for the power of the relic to envelop my body.

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

 **Thanks for reading, and as always please, comment and suggest stuff! Hope you liked this chapter, and I'll be back with a new chapter within the week!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yikes I haven't updated for something like three (or four...?) plus weeks. I'm sorrrrrry! I know I said I'd be aiming to update once-twice a week but wow, I see now that that was definitely a goal I couldn't stick to. I don't wanna make excuses; I'll make obtainable goals from here out... Hopefully you haven't lost hope in me!**

Chapter 3- Interlude Between Battles

"Elise, please, you can't be here… If father finds out, he'll-"

"He won't! Did you forget that your little brother is THE Leon, THE magical prodigy of Nohr?! He'll just whip up some of those illusion thingamajiggies once he finds out." She happily replied, her blonde pigtails bouncing.

"Once he 'Finds out?' Finds out what?" I ask.

She quickly responds to the distraught look on my face. "Oh… I kindasorta didn't tell anyone in the castle that I was leaving with my retainers to find and help you… Big sister, it'll be okay. Xander and Leon know what their doing. They always do." She says smiling up at me. "Plus, with Effie, Arthur, and Cyrus by our sides, how can we fail?"

I think back to the battle in the Woods of the Forlorn. Effie wrecking everything that got in the way of the fierce swing of her lance. Her seemingly body armor seemingly making her immortal.

Cyrus. He's uncannily familiar. And his loyalty… So pure. He trusts me as much as my Nohrian family does even though he's aware of my Hoshidan blood. Trusts me just as much as Jakob does… And that's saying something.

And then there's Arthur. Gosh, I've never seen anyone with as bad luck as him. I swear, he barely knows how to wield an axe, and yet he throws himself into the midst of battle all for the sake of protecting Elise. He's very… underdog-esque. But I'm glad Effie's always beside him… I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have made it this far without her…

I smile at the thought of so many people coming in support of my endeavour, in support of the kingdom of night that I truly call my home.

That sappy sentiment must've been written all over my face and Elise smiles. "Awww, see? I knew you'd grow fond of my retainer's, I mean how could you not love them?!"

"Yes. I know, know..." I sigh. "It'll be a long day tomorrow Elise. Best get some rest now," I say, patting her light blonde hair.

She makes brief pouty face, but soon replaces it with a smile as if thinking I would tell on her to Xander if she complained about bedtime. Obediently, she swung her arms around my waist, giving me a drawn out "Okayyyyy. Goodnight big sister," before she trudged out of my room.

I sat on my bed after she left. My treehouse bedroom here in the astral plane was so different than my bedroom in Castle Krakenburg. It's so much more… warm here. There's no draft that comes from underneath the door… No shadows lurking behind every object… No deception...

Tomorrow we'll be facing the Ice Tribe. Felicia and Flora's homeland. How can I…? Betray… The homeland… Of the people who I grew up with? Of the people closest to me? What was I thinking? This isn't about my physical ability to suppress a rebellion single handed, it's about morality- people will perish in the coming battle- and for what? I can feel a stinging sensation in my eyes and shuffle towards the safety of the wooden headboard of the bed that offers some feeling of stability. If only I could outrun the tears. Oh, that's just pitiful, Kamui. Crying in the corner of your bedroom, my inner voice whispers, what's that going to do for you? Crying isn't going to solve your problems. I swipe the damp droplets away even though no one was there to see. This is all so stupid. Father's tasks. Me obeying. Haven't I sacrificed enough?And for what? Where can I expect his cruelty to stop? More burning in my eyes. "Felicia… Flora…" I whisper between the tears. "I'm sorry." How hypocritical of me. To turn my back on my own birth country. And to destroy someone else's. I had a choice to side with Nohr and fight my own blood… But what of them? The innocents of the Ice Tribe?… If I do this, I'm forcing a fate that I have the power to change, on so many voiceless people. Scared. Innocent. People. Who only fear- What father has already done- could do- will do. "I have no… right. To destroy something… As precious as...Family…" I'm so selfish… I want so badly to feel accepted in the only family I ever knew…Is this really the monster I've become?... A greedy, selfish, monster?

A warmth radiates above my head, gently stroking across my disheveled hair. "That's enough, Milady." I look startled at his voice. When did he get here? Did he see me like this? In this despicable state? I want to ask him, but he's staring straight ahead, avoiding my eye contact. I reach to swipe at the remnants of tears on my eyelids, but he catches my hand with his own. He's not wearing his gloves or armor, and I can actually feel the warmth of his hand. A human's hand. It brings me back to my childhood…

A silver haired boy. Gentle yet arrogant in his own way. At the time, I was around ten years old and he was fifteen. He'd grip my hand firmly as we'd walk through the meadow near the castle that bloomed with beautiful poppy flowers every Summer. After an hour of begging to sneak out of my isolated tower, he'd give in every time, grabbing my wrist and exiting Castle Krakenburg through the back. He knew where I'd ask to go, and that's where we always ended up. I could admire the red poppy flowers and lush grass forever. Even I knew places like this were rare to find in desolate Nohr.

Jakob was born to a family that had served the Nohrian royals for centuries, and when I came into the picture, it had already been ordained that his purpose was to serve any children of King Garon. I could never tell when he actually enjoyed being around me. I could never be sure if he was acting to play his role as "servant" or if he actually felt a bond with me.

Back then was the last time I had felt the warmth of his hand- on those trips to the meadow. It was around the time I had entered my teens that he started revealing another side. One that showed he was honing in dagger skills. He had begun wearing gloves lined with a metallic armor on the inside and outside so that the amateur mistakes he made in the process of training wouldn't result in wounds on his hands.

To feel his real hand again, and so near, I wanted to grasp it. To be reminded that he was human. Jakob seemed to act more subservient with each passing day, and I wanted him to act like the young boy I once remembered. The one that felt like being a butler would "be a waste of my skills" as he had once put it, and had to be reminded of his manners around royalty. The boy that called me "Kamui" and not "Milady." I missed the Jakob that had other things to look forward to, other than babysitting a mere child. Over the years he'd been molded to fit the role he was born for, and he became less real. And the hardest part was that I could no longer tell when he was being genuine, and when he was simply carrying out his duties.

"Please. If you're going to just cry more, there is no point in wiping them away." He still held my hand away from my face and refused to look me.

"What's it to you…" I groan. He's always right, I think, cracking a smile and sniffling to suck back in any tears.

"It makes your face look ugly." Now that was definitely genuine. I let out another giggle and another sniffle. I can only really tell you're being genuine when you say something snarky and brutally honest. "There. That's better." He says at last facing me. He pats my head and smiles. "I can't bear to look at Milady when she looks so sad. It rubs off on me." Jakob adds. Genuine? Or simple butler-kiss-up-to-the-one-you-serve commentary? "Get some sleep." He strides out of my room. As soon as he was here, he was gone. It's like he was never here to begin with.

I snuggle under the warm blankets of my bed. I take one last glance at the sheathed Yato that dangles from the bedpost opposite me, the metallic helm of the sacred blade catching the starlight of the astral plane that sparkled through my window. And.. drift...to….sleep…..

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

 **So I don't want to set a goal that is too hard to meet. :/ So updates… I will try my darndest to post a new chapter once every one to two weeks. Thank you so much for reading, and for your patience if you've been waiting for me to update. I'm sorrrry this chapter is so late!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Figures of Dawn's Shadow

" _Yeah! That's right! We came here to suppress the Ice Tribe's Rebellion!"_ Elise's words echo once more through my head.

 _Shit. It's cold out here. My feet are freezing. My hands are freezing._ I blow all the warmth of my lungs into my closed fists. The warmth is fleeting, and is gone with the next gust of icy wind. I bury my hand into my leather satchel searching for the warmth illuminating off my Dragonstone. _Transforming here and now… It'll give me some shield from this frigid cold…_ I shove the idea out of my head. _But… my skill with Yato is beginning to fall behind. The last battle I might've overused the Dragonstone- there were so many Faceless trying to hit me…_

"Milady, is something the matter?" Jakob asks curiously walking from behind me.

"Eh-he..he… Nothing!" I manage to say, _Yato, don't fail me now._

"Flora has turned traitor," he says, fidgeting with his dagger, "I never saw any of us betraying you." His deep violet eyes grow distant for only a second and then they flash back to me. "Best we begin to strategize. The enemy has houses of support surrounding us on almost all sides of our battlefield. We truly do have the disadvantage."

I try to ignore the lost-in-thought-look I had seen grace his face for only an instant- _It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. I can find out later what he was thinking. For now… Focus.. Focus on the battle at hand._

"Elise! You Effie and Cyrus stay in a group. Jakob, Arthur, and I will be the second group. _I hate separating Effie and Arthur, but Elise needs two people who she can count on to protect her._ I immediately scold myself for making such a terrible remark in my head. _But, it's trueeee,_ I heard my internal self sing.

Everybody seems to be holding up so far. _My damn toes though. They're so cold I wouldn't be surprised if they fell right off at this point._ I clench my teeth, _I have to wield Yato for this battle though, otherwise I'll be that more out of practice for the next one._ I'm about to let out the longest groan humanly possible, but it's cut short by a rustling in the snow covered brush beside me.

"Ah-ha! Odin Dark has found you!" A tall, blonde, young man in a Nohrian mage cloak jumps from the brush, and I jump back in surprise. He's dressed lightly for this cold weather, and I can't help but immediately take in and admire how ripped his abs are. _Who is this freak of nature?! He's got the looks of a god but the maturity of a five year old! I mean, what grown man speaks of himself in third person?_

"W-who are you?!" I say so surprised by his sudden emergence, I almost lose my grip on Yato.

"Oh ho!" Arthur grins widely, revealing what he would consider to be 'the smile of Justice' or something like that. _I almost forgot he was here_. "This servant of light, I mean 'DARK,'" he pauses to wink at the blonde man, " is the retainer of Lady Camilla. A magic doer!"

"Ah. I see." I say.

Another voice echoes through the clearing as another man emerges. He's dressed plainly wearing clothes that identify him halfway between that of a beggar and a crook. An eye patch covers his right eye. I've seen his kind- even in the isolation I grew up in, I know what he is. An outlaw. Wanted dead in probably more than one city, too. "I'm Niles." He says flipping an iron bow around his scarred hand in a skillful yet sloppy manner. He wacks his blonde counterpart on the head in the process. "This one's Odin," he says nonchalantly.

"Odin Dar-" The blonde one attempts to correct him but is caught in another revolution of the archer's bow.

"Odin Weird." He says filling in. "But no matter, we're here to assist you sweet cheeks," he says, a crooked grin spreading across his dark skin. His teeth gleam white in the early dawn moonlight as he bows elegantly, "At your service… Princess."

I frown, slightly disgusted, although I tell myself to not judge him too fast. _You haven't seen him in battle Kamui… Give him a chance. Everyone deserves at least that much._ "So you too? A retainer of my sister?" The cold limits me from speaking in full sentences, so that's how it comes out.

"Yep," he says making a popping sound on the 'p' of the word.

 _What other choice do I have?_ "Okay then... Odin… Join Elise, Cyrus, and Effie… And you," I say looking at Niles, "are with me." _They're both… Strange. Odin seems aloof… But at least not dangerous. Niles… I can't tell yet. But I don't want him around Elise._

"Sure. Whatever." He says smiling in a way that makes me feel like I need to take a shower.

"Swor- Tome hand… It twitches with power." The weird mage mumbles as he heads across the barren landscape towards the glint of Effie's pink armor in the fading moonlight, eight-pack abs and all.

 _What is this becoming?_ I sigh as I sense the movement of the silver haired archer drawing near me, bursting my bubble, and standing far too close for comfort. I can sense Jakob staring daggers into the man's head as he invades my personal space.

"Shall we go?" His wispy, humid breath catches in my ear. His voice is smooth and rolling. But fleeting- suitable for the personality of an outlaw. _I don't think bathing for ten straight days would wash away that feeling._

"Let us make haste," I say, "...with our enemy." _I sound like freaking Jakob._ At that point I couldn't help but continue following that train of thought- _Am I as annoying to him as this guy is to me?... This is like babysitting…_ The other half of my head rampages in- _Give him a chance! Then judge him._ I calm down enough to be rational. _Alright, let's see what you can do archer…_

 **Thank you for reading and I hope you liked this chapter! I had a LOT of fun writing this- Odin and Niles are such unique and fun characters! Reviews, comments, suggestions and feedback are greatly appreciated! (It seems this update goal, is achievable so I'll try to keep to it- once to twice a week from here out!) -skw**


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